The Ugly Journey of a plastic bottle cap
When thinking about plastic pollution and waste, the thought of a bottle cap a small inanimate object doesn't really come to mind towards the subject. However, each single-use plastic bottle you consume without recycling has disastrous effects on the environment.
In simple terms, plastic pollution and waste is the process of accumulation of plastic items in the earth’s environment that negatively impacts wildlife, wildlife habitats, and humans. In 1 day we waste enough bottles and cans to stretch over 4,000KM — that’s the whole way across Australia, these 15 thousand bottles are thrown away every single minute (2015–2019 Same-Day Rubbish Removal). Without society adequately recycling these objects, the risks of harmful outcomes will occur and continue to expand to dangerous lengths.
Why plastic bottle caps?
Sadly, the majority of people put the lids in with their regular trash and simply forget or assume they can’t be recycled. This frequently results in them ending up in landfills or, worse yet, in our oceans and on our beaches, where they can cause irreparable harm. One of the most typical types of beach litter is plastic bottle lids. Bottle lids and caps can endanger species, particularly fish and birds because it takes plastic a long time to disintegrate if it ever does. Single-use plastics (bottles and bottle caps) come with a steep environmental price, one that we’ll be paying off for millennia. Our plastic addiction is having a devastating impact on our oceans, our wildlife, and our health.
Impacts
Although there are an absurd amount of harmful implications for plastic pollution. The main focus I want to inform is the use of single-use plastic (plastic bottles and caps), as when considering the causes of plastic pollution and waste the idea of a single bottle cap fails to strike attention among society. Not to mention, plastic bottle caps are one of the most common plastic trash recovered during beach clean-ups. No wonder it’s also a leading cause of the death of marine wildlife.
Here are the things that I believe to be worth your consideration about single-use plastic pollution and waste:
Marine life:
According to a report by the North Sea Foundation, beachgoers leave behind 80% of the plastic bottle caps on the beach. This is a grave issue because seabirds and marine turtles see these caps as food and will accordingly ingest them. Specifically, albatross, have a problem with eating plastic dumped in the ocean. Plastic bottle tops are th problematic. Currently, they are not recyclable, and more and more often, they are ending up at the bottom of the ocean and in the stomachs of a variety of animal species that mistake them for food. You may have heard about the albatross found on a Hawaiian island with a stomach full of 119 plastic bottle caps. Or the sperm whale that was found on a beach with a plastic gallon bottle that had destroyed his small intestine, and a stomach full of plastic bottles and bottle caps.
Environment:
German research suggests that the ecosystem may be more severely impacted by microplastic contamination in sediments, soils, and freshwaters than in marine habitats over the long run. Depending on the area, the harmful effects of plastic contamination in the soil can be 4 to 23 times greater. Plastic debris fragments can contaminate soil by changing the chemistry of the soil. When disseminated in soil, the undecomposed plastic particles Bisphenol A and phthalates will disrupt both invertebrate and vertebrate hormone systems. This microscopic particle has the capacity to penetrate a creature’s cell and change the metabolic and gene expression processes.
North sea foundation:
The North Sea Foundation promotes responsible disposal of waste onshore and in the ocean, but most importantly they focus on eliminating bottle caps from where they come from.
The North Sea Foundation offers the following sector-specific strategies to address bottle cap pollution:
- Government: Should impose fees on single-use plastic drink containers, including the lids.
- Industry: Produce unique packaging concepts to eliminate the issue of plastic wastage.
- Consumers: Should consider utilising as numerous reusable bottles and caps as possible, and dispose of their garbage appropriately.
The youtube video linked by the North Sea Foundation provides a summary and conclusions of the “bottle cap survey”, that advocates and educates individuals on the harmful impacts bottle caps have on the wider environment.
DIY ways to recycle plastic bottle caps:
In the past, I have created many beauty tools as a fun and different way to recycle bottle caps. My family is big on recycling, so collecting and finding bottle caps to produce these products were effective and efficient due to my family adequately collecting them. I wanted to produce a product that was aesthetically pleasing yet functional. So I decided to create a comb, bowl and mirror.
Creation process
If you are curious to explore a creative side of recycling, this concept is for you. As seen I went above and beyond and got access to a laser-cutting machine to further enhance the functionality of the tools. However, there are many other simple options to choose to create, such as a bowl, tray, or cup holder.
Essential steps:
- The main object used to establish such products was a sandwich maker.
- Use personal protective equipment correctly such as rubber gloves, masks and safety glasses to protect from burns and toxic air that heated plastic produces.
- Find an outdoor setting for ventilation.
- Place baking paper on both the top of the sandwich maker and the bottom and place plastic bottle caps into straight lines across the sandwich maker.
- Get the top piece of the baking paper and place it on top of the caps that were placed, heating is to begin- leave to melt for around 5 minutes.
- Repeat this process until desired thickness of melted plastic.
Avoiding Single-Use Plastics
The change starts with you, gradually implementing small changes into a recycled life, helps bring awareness to that matter that every small action and change they make, can contribute to the cause.
Here are a few outlets with more information on ways to get involved with the plastic pollution movement and awareness, and some organisations who are fighting the good fight daily. Containing solutions to properly recycle plastic within your local community to overall better society and the environment. Most of these helpful solutions to help the environment, require a small change in lifestyle, with big outcomes towards our future environment.